Bookrest for hospital-beds and chairs



.M. L. DODGE.

BOOKREST FOR HOSPITAL BEDS AND CHAIRS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 12, 1920.

1,384,744. Patented y 19,1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

HEHMHFFFII H M. L. DODGE. BOOKREST FOR HOSPITAL BEDS AND CHAIRS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 12, 1920- Patented July 19, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 75 avwewtoz Mm 2 M. L. DODGE. IBOOKREST FOR HOSPITAL BEDS AND CHAIRS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 12, I920.

Patented July 19, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE.

MARTIN L. DODGE, OF LAKE KUSHAQUA, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO 7 ALBERT E. BAYE, OF LAKE KUSHAQUA, NEW YORK..

BOOKREST FOE HOSPITAL-BEDS AND-CHAIRS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 12, 1920. Serial No. 373,270.

T 0 all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARTIN L. DODGE, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Lake Kushaqua, in'the county of Franklin and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bookrests for Hospital-Beds and Chairs, of which the following is a specification,

My present invention relates generally to book rests, and more particularly to book rests tor chairs, stands, tables, beds and the i like, my object being the provision of an improved arrangement and construction as presently to be described with respect to the accompanying drawings.

In these drawings, which form a part of this specification and illustrate two forms 01 the invention,

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation illustrating the practical application of my invention to bed rails,

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the rest plate taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, 7

Fig.3 is a horizontal section through the rail clamp taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken on' line 4-4 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken centrally .through Fig. 4,

Fig.6 is a view partly in elevation and partly broken away and in section of a modified form applicable to tables, chairs and stands,

Fig. 7 is a vertical section taken on line 7-7 of Fig. 6, and V 1 Fig. 8 is a top plan view of the clamp.

Referring now to these figures and par ticularly to Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, I propose a book rest supported by a bed rail engaging clamp, a bed-rail being seen at 10 in Fig. 1, of the usual angular type. The clamp consists of a pair of angular clamping blocks 11 and 12, the block 11 being adjustable in the angle of the block 12 and in a vertical direction by virtue of a vertical adjusting bolt 13 which extends upwardly through the inner body portion of block 11 from the underlying extension 14 of the block 12 as best seen in Fig. 5. This bolt has an intermediate offset 15 and receives an upper clamping nut 16 bearing on the block 11.

The lower portion of the body of block 11, whose inner face slides vertically along the inner face of the body of block 12 on guide pins 11 has a slot 17 through which the inner portion of a horizontal adjusting bolt 18 extends, the inner end of this bolt carries a clamping plate 19 and its outer por tion extends outwardly through an opening in the body of block 12 and is threaded through nuts 20 stationa-rily embedded in said block. This bolt has an outer winged head 21 by means of which it may be conveniently rotated to advance or retard the clamping plate 19, depending upon the direction of such rotation.

The rail engaging extension 11 of block 11, has an angle plate 22 which depends therebelow and the extension 14 of block 12 has an upstanding plate 23. These depend mg and upstanding portions of the plates 22 and 23 oppose the clamping plate 19 so that a bed rail 10 may be received and clamped vertically between the block extensions 11 and 14 and clampedhorizontally between the block carried plates 22 and 23 and the clamping plate 19, asclearly seen 29 receiving thereth-rough the threaded end of a clamping bolt 31 mounted through the upper portion of the standard 26 and whose free end is engaged-by a wing nut 32 for securing the arm 28 in vertically adjusted. position.

To the upper end of the vertical arm 28 is secured one end of a horizontal arm 33, the opposite end of which as best seen in Figs. 1 and 2 is secured to the lower end of an upright 34.

The upright 34 is longitudinally slotted from its upper end and for the major portion of its length, and its extensions 35 upon opposite sides of the slot have a transverse clamping bolt 36 extending therethrough adjacent to their free ends and receiving a wing nut 37, bolt 36 also passing through the central enlarged portion 38 of Patented July 19, 1921.

the rest plate rib 39 which is shit'tabl'e at its tween the upright extensions 35 as the inclination of the rest plate 40 is varied with respect to the upright 34. The rest plate 40 vertically'along the rear face of which the rib 39 is secured, may thus be secured adjusted position by tightening the wing nut 37.

- device previously described engaged with the bed rail 10, the horizontal supporting arm 33 oflsets the rest plate 40 to a position in front, of apatient or occupant of the bed, the relative adjustment of the vertical arm 28 with respect to the standard 26 permitting the rest plate, to be adjusted vertically to the proper height, and

the movement of the restplate 40 on the 'rest plate to be adjusted to the desired inclination.

- In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8 the rest plate 4O with its book holding wire 42 lower flange 41 and rib 39 with its central enlarged portion 38 are the same as previously described as is also the'construction of the upright 34'' with the clamping pivot bolt 36 and wing nut 37. Likewise the upright 34 is similarly connected at its lower end to a horizontal offsetting arm 33 the latter being however in this instance directly connected to the inner body portion 44 of a clamping block by means of a clamping bolt 45 which passes vertically through the said body portion and through the outer end of the arm 33 to receive a clamping wing nut 46 upon its upper threaded end. 7

r The body portion 44 of the clamping block just above referred to has an upper outer extension 47 which overlies a second clamping block 48 having a lower laterally and in- Wardly projecting clamping plate 49 which opposes the lower surface of the body por-. tion 44 of the first clamping block so-as to provide for the mounting of the clamp as a whole by engagement of the arm of a chair or the side edge of a table, stand and the like between these parts. For this purpose the clamping block 48 has a vertical clamping bolt 56 which projects upwardly through I the extension 47 of the other clamping block 45 directly with one of the clamping blocks and being similarly swingable in the form of Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive by virtue of the.

stepping or tenoning of the lower end of the standard 26 into the upper portion of the clamping block 12. r 7

My invention according to both of these constructions provides for ready convenient attachment of the device as well as its easy convenient manipulation and adjustment in use, and is at the same time simple, inexpensive and durable.

I claim:

A book rest including an adjustable rest plate and a supporting clamp from which the rest plate is adjustably mounted, said clamp including a pair of L-shaped blocks in adjustable connection with one another, having spaced parallel extensions one of which projects beyond the other, a clamping plate, plates secured to the ends of said block extensions and projecting inwardly therefrom and each opposing a portion of the said clamping plate, and an adjusting In testimony'whereof I have afiixed signature.

I MARTIN L. DODGE. 

